Night Star Gazing
Hearing Chun Liuzai's words, Gou Erpang leaned over and said, "I have to say, you've successfully caught my attention with your topic, but what I want to ask is, why would aliens leave behind a Starry Sky Ancient Road?"
Chun Liuzai stroked his dog head. "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? I'm not an alien, how would I know why they left behind the Starry Sky Ancient Road? Besides, this is just a speculation based on the information we have. Speculation, understand?"
"I understand, I understand." Gou Erpang chuckled and muttered, "It's just nonsense."
"What nonsense, that's science," Wei Shiba said irritably.
"Yes, yes, Brother Eighteen is right, it's science. So what should we do now? We don't see any Heavenly Gate here!" Gou Erpang shaded his eyes with his hand as he looked at the vast Snow Mountain.
"Why are you in such a hurry?"
Wei Shiba glanced at him without curiosity. In fact, Wei Shiba didn't know exactly where Tianmen was at this moment. He just judged the location based on what he had learned and the directions recorded in ancient books, and led the expedition team to this location.
But he couldn't say he didn't know, since the team had already arrived. If he said he didn't know now, it would be a huge joke. So even if he didn't know exactly where it was, he wouldn't say it.
Moreover, he had just confirmed it again with a compass, and it should be the right place. He was confident that the location he was looking for was no more than ten kilometers off. Of course, that was only if the ancient records were correct. If the ancient records were wrong, then there was nothing he could do.
"Xiao Wei, there's just a Snow Mountain in front of us, and everything around us is a vast expanse of white. We can't see any Heavenly Gate at all, and in this environment, we're afraid our food won't last long," Professor Amir said worriedly.
Professor Amir had pinned all his hopes on Wei Shiba, and he was genuinely afraid that Wei Shiba would say that there was no way out.
"Professor, please rest assured, the destination is definitely here. However, the exact location is not easy to observe during the day. We need to wait until night, after the stars appear, so that I can better determine the exact location of the Heavenly Gate as recorded in the ancient books based on the positions of the stars."
Wei Shiba wasn't bragging. He continued, "But even if it's precise, it can only be a range, not a specific location. We'll still have to carefully search the vicinity for anything unusual."
"Yes, narrowing down the scope is already quite impressive. This trip is really all thanks to Xiao Wei. Without you, we would have failed long ago. If we really find Tianmen, Xiao Wei, you will be the biggest contributor. I will report your achievements to the relevant departments, and you will definitely receive a reward." Professor Amir first affirmed Wei Shiba's contributions, and then habitually offered a promise.
"The rewards are secondary. My main concern is that I'm very curious about what exactly this so-called Heavenly Gate is, and what that legend, passed down from the Bronze Age to the present day, is about." Wei Shiba squinted at the Snow Mountain, then slowly rose and began walking in a certain direction, turning back to the four people as he instructed them:
"Professor Amir, San Mei, Chun Liuzai, and Erpang, while it's still early, hurry up and set up the tents, then get some ice. While the sun is high in the sky, use the lens to melt some water. I'll go over there to find some food; by the time I finish eating, it'll probably be dark."
"Should I go alone, Eighteenth Brother? Or should I go with you?" said the third San Mei, who had been watching Wei Shiba closely.
"No need, we need you more here. Don't let the tent be set up before I get back." Wei Shiba decisively refused. Without giving the other Dog-Headed People a chance to speak, he grabbed a handful of digging tools, slung his empty backpack over his shoulder, and walked a long distance in three quick steps.
They actually had some dry rations, but Wei Shiba was afraid they wouldn't be able to find Tianmen in a short time, so he chose to look for some food outside to replenish their supplies.
From a human perspective, such a barren and high-altitude Snow Mountain would hardly have any usable food, but the Dog-Headed People's diet is different from that of humans, and their planet has an environment that is also different from Earth's.
On such Snow Mountain, the Dog-Headed People Planet has no large animals, no small animals, and not even plants, but this does not pose a problem for Wei Shiba.
Because Wei Shiba had been to such environments, he knew that on such vast Snow Mountain, there would be ice crystals formed after the death of some small biological communities. These ice crystals were usually mixed in with ordinary ice blocks, and their color was similar to that of normal ice blocks.
Without professional knowledge, one would certainly not be able to distinguish between ordinary ice cubes and usable ice crystals, but fortunately, Wei Shiba knew how to tell the difference.
For Dog-Headed People, these ice crystals formed from the corpses of certain microorganisms are not enough to fill them up or suitable for long-term use, but they can generally be consumed for ten days to half a month without causing any problems. In emergencies, they are lifesavers.
By the time Wei Shiba returned, it was already getting dark. Because of the high altitude, it had become even colder. Fortunately, the Dog-Headed People had already set up their tents and a fire pit nearby.
The bright flames guided Wei Shiba back home.
The Dog-Headed People Planet rarely experiences strong winds or waves, so even at such High Mountain, there wasn't much wind. In addition, the recent good weather saved the expedition team a lot of trouble.
Once back in the group, Wei Shiba immediately emptied the ice crystals from his backpack. Apart from Gou Erpang, Professor Amir and his two students were seeing this stuff for the first time, so they couldn't help but be curious and started asking all sorts of questions.
Now it was finally Gou Erpang's turn to show off, explaining the origin, usage, and environment in which the thing existed.
And so, the group of five Dog-Headed People ate their rations of ice crystals while waiting for night to fall completely.
The Dog-Headed People Planet has no satellites, and when night falls, it's truly pitch black. However, these few Dog-Headed People are intelligent beings from a modern civilized society, and they came prepared, so naturally they wouldn't act in the dark.
Using the firelight, Wei Shiba began to perform his Star Observation Technique.
Normally, everyone would be busy with their own things and wouldn't pay much attention, but now, having just finished eating and with nothing else to do, the group was even more curious about the legendary Star Observation Technique, so they all looked at Wei Shiba to see how he would do it.
Especially the San Mei of the Dog-Headed People, the reflection of Wei Shiba was seen in the eyes of her comical dog face. Even Dog-Headed People with discerning eyes could see that she had indeed been impressed by Wei Shiba's abilities during this period of time.